Some people plant vegetable gardens. Others might invest in a spot of landscaping. I, on the other hand, like to find plants that have been spray-painted hot pink, plop them in neon gravel, and paint them a turquoise chevron home. To each her own.
I'm all about the hanging air plants and succulents. Cute vessels for these plants seem to be few and far between, so I have been forced to take matters into my own hands. Recently, I have yarn-wrapped planters and added pompoms almost bigger than the plants. I made a video all about using gel pens on glass to create your own customized boho planters. Today, I took it to another level and converted a candle holder.
This candle holder came from World Market, but you can find similar ones almost anywhere.
The first thing I needed to do was remove the small tray inside the glass hanger, where the candle would have been. I used pliers and wire clippers.
The glass candle holder was not sealed, so I knew that water would leak out. I thought I might hang my terrarium inside, so I needed to fix this problem. I used a clear glue on the inside and outside seams of the terrarium. Allow this to dry overnight. (If you want to hang your planter outside, skip this step.)
Next, using Shape Tape (which comes in several different patterns for painting your walls), I wrapped my terrarium. I know, I know—I said we should all swear off chevrons in 2014. I just happened to have this roll of Shape Tape.
When all the tape was in place, I used several coats of Gallery Glass. Gallery Glass will dry transparent, so it's perfect for glass. If you prefer an opaque design, most craft paint will work on glass. I applied my Gallery Glass with a sponge brush, allowing for drying time in between coats.
When the Gallery Glass was dry, I removed my Shape Tape. I must admit that I had to use an Exacto knife to cut the paint away from the tape. I think this was because I did not allow for enough "curing time." Sometimes reading the manufacturer's instructions pays off. Who knew?
Next, I needed to choose the right plant. I knew I wanted to stick with my air plant or succulent theme. When I rolled up to my local Wally World and spied their amazing painted plants, I knew this was the one. For the record, they have teal and gold, too. Yes, they are alive. Yes, it is slightly weird to paint plants. Yes, they are STILL alive.
I filled the bottom half of my new terrarium with a mixture of cactus potting soil and neon yellow aquarium gravel. I popped my hot pink plant in and watered well (not a single leak).
All that was left to do was add a tassel on the bottom and hang.
